S.O.S. News

Spring 2015 Support Groups

Student Wellness & Health Promotion is offering a Sexual Assault Survivors' Support Group and a Healthy Relationships Support Group. They will not be open to the public. If interested, please call 831-3457 to schedule a 30-minute appointment. Group meetings will be 8-10 weeks, and will hopefully begin in the first week of March. Give yourself the gift of this experience!

Reporting Options

Call 911 if you are in danger or in need of medical attention.

For sexual assault, intimate partner violence or stalking that has occurred ON CAMPUS:

You may report the incident directly to University Police, 911 or 302-831-2222, who would take a report, investigate, and present the case to the Attorney General's Office for possible criminal prosecution by the State of Delaware. If you report to UD Police, the initial report would likely be taken by a patrol officer, and then you would be contacted later for a more in-depth interview with a detective who will conduct the investigation. You may request a female officer; however, based upon staffing and scheduling of women officers, they may not be able to assure you that a woman will respond. The University Police can also put you in touch with a Victim Services Officer to assist you.

If you have experienced sexual assault, intimate partner violence, or stalking on University property or that was done by a member of the University of Delaware community (student, staff or faculty), this is a violation of the University's Sexual Misconduct Policy and you have the option to hold the person accountable through the sexual misconduct process with the Office of Equity & Inclusion. You are allowed to have one person present with you during meetings or interviews throughout this process. That person may be an advocate from Student Wellness & Health Promotion or a trained volunteer SOS Victim Advocate. An advocate can answer your questions about what to expect and help you feel more at ease with the process.

In the residence hall, your Resident Assistant or Hall Director may complete an Incident Report and/or help you to contact University Police. You may also complete your own Incident Report about the attack. You can opt not to have your name listed on the Incident Report if you choose not to report the crime, but a Residence Life professional staff member would be informed of your identity for purposes of follow up assistance. If you do wish to report to UD for a formal case, the Incident Report would likely be used in the sexual misconduct case.

For sexual assault, intimate partner violence or stalking that has occurred OFF CAMPUS:

If your assault occurred off-campus in Newark and you want to press criminal charges against the perpetrator, you would report it to the Newark Police Department by dialing 911. The University Police have jurisdiction for those crimes committed on University of Delaware property. Police agencies have an obligation to take any crimes presented to them to the Attorney General's office, even if the victim does not wish to pursue a criminal case. Ultimately it is the decision of the AG's office whether or not the case will be dropped or charges will be pressed against the alleged perpetrator.

Similarly, if your assault occurred elsewhere in New Castle County, dial 911 and they will send an officer from the appropriate jurisdiction to take your report.

If the assault happened off-campus but both victim and perpetrator are UD students, you still have the right to initiate a Sexual Misconduct case against the perpetrator. You can contact the Title IX Coordinator directly by calling 302-831-8063.

Once the Title IX Coordinator receives an Incident Report, a Title IX report, or a direct report from a victim, they will reach out to the victim electronically to offer campus resources and options, including a formal case. As the victim, you can expect to be interviewed by a Sexual Misconduct Investigator. Any other people who may have witnessed any part of the incident may also be interviewed as witnesses. As explained above, you are

Additional Reporting Information:

If you are considering filing a report and pressing criminal charges, it is important that you go to the hospital for a forensic examination so that evidence may be collected to assist in a criminal case. While the desire to shower may be powerful, refrain from showering or disposing of clothing, which likely contain critical forensic evidence to support a criminal case. Take the clothes you wore during the assault to the hospital with you, and you may wish to take along a fresh change of clothing.

It is also important that you report to police as soon as you are able so that you are able to provide as many details as you can remember while they are fresh in your mind. (It is normal for additional details to come to light after a few days, especially after a trauma. Some details may also surface later if alcohol or other drugs were a factor, although in some cases alcohol or drugs can inhibit memory entirely.)

An S.O.S. advocate can answer questions you have about this process, provide support and a listening ear, and inform you about all of your options as you prepare for making these important decisions. Call 302-831-2226 and ask to be put in touch with S.O.S. The staff will take a first name and phone number and the Victim Advocate on duty will call you back within 10 minutes. . If you prefer an advocate who is not from the UD Campus, you may call Rape Crisis Contact Lifeline at 1-800-262-9800 to talk with an advocate. Services provided by S.O.S. & Contact Lifeline are strictly confidential.

Victims who file a police report within 72 hours (whether the case is pursued by the Attorney General's Office or not) are eligible to have financial compensation for medical expenses, counseling expenses, lost wages from work time missed, and some other expenses paid by the Victim's Compensation Assistance Program. The S.O.S. Coordinator has copies of the application forms and can sign off on the application and assist with the application process. Make an appointment with the Coordinator by calling 302-831-3457 during business hours.

For more information about the state's Victim/Witness Assistance Program as well as the legal process, visit the Delaware Attorney General's Home Page. The Attorney General's website also has a page specifically focussed on Victim's Rights and Victim's Assistance programs in the state of Delaware. If the crime did not occur in Delaware, you may want to check out your home state's Attorney General's Office for information accurate to your situation. The National Center for Victims of Crime also has good info on Victim's Rights.

To reach the SOS Victim Advocate on duty (24 hrs/day) call 302-831-2226. The person who answers will take a first name and phone number and the advocate will call you back within 10 minutes.

Upcoming Events!

May 4, 5 & 6th, 4:00-8:00pmFundraiser for the Collegiate Recovery CommunityLaunch Trampoline ParkCome out and bounce to support UD's CRC! 25% of all proceeds raised from jump time will be donated by Launch to the CRC! All you have to do in mention the flyer or let them know you are there for the fundraiser for UD. Visit their website at LaunchDE.com

May 6th, 7:00pmGet Up, Stand Up: Be a Courageous Bystander100 KirkbrideHave you ever heard a sexist or homophobic joke and wished you had confronted it? Witnessed someone name-calling or hitting another person? Seen a man leading a heavily intoxicated woman into a room at a party and closing the door? Were you left with the nagging feeling that someone should have intervened...yet getting involved felt too risky? A "Courageous Bystander" is someone who takes an active role in promoting a respectful environment, or who takes action to safely and responsibly interfere with abusive attitudes, statements, or behaviors. This interactive program helps participants learn ways to be a courageous bystander and possibly save someone from victimization and trauma. Presented by UD's Sexual Offense Support (S.O.S.).

May 20th, Registration at 5:30pm, Race at 6:30pmRun for Recovery 5K Run/WalkRockford Park, Wilmington, DEThe Collegiate Recovery Community at UD will have at table in support of the Limen House 5k. For more information about the Limen House program or to sign up for the 5k, go to their website at www.limenhouse.org